Little Moments
by zephyrchild
Summary: Ridiculous Cophine fluff. Cosima and Delphine with their baby/La famille Niehaus-Cormier. Collection of linked drabbles. Complete, For now...
1. Chapter 1

It was stupid really- but whenever she pictured having children with Delphine she always pictured a little girl. A little girl with Delphine's eyes and pretty curls. Seeing her beloved in her child's face, a Delphine in perfect miniature. She'd seen pictures of Delphine as a little girl. Laughing happily, looking so beautiful. How could she not want that? Luckily they'd only had to try twice before Delphine conceived. Why had she only fantasized about a daughter? When she was shocked at the sonogram her wife had reminded her that it was equally likely that their child would be a boy. It had taken the last few weeks for it to sink in.

She couldn't imagine things any other way now, cuddled into Delphine's side, admiring her bare 30 week belly, the webs of blue veins that run across it. And every once in a while movement from within. Delphine seemed completely delighted and enthralled with her pregnancy. It was actually kinda sexy, keeping their hands off each other was more of a problem now than in the first two years of their marriage.

"Léo." Delphine said decisively running her fingers down the swell of her belly. "Definitely Léo."

"Leo, huh?" She smiled. They hadn't talked boy's names until now. Girls names had given them enough trouble. Naming a child who would be raised speaking at least two languages was not easy. It became more complicated when her dad had reminded her that she should speak german to her son, as he had to her when she was little.

"It's perfect." Delphine states, "Works in French and English. Pronounceable by my french relatives and your german ones."

"Leo. Leo Niehaus-Cormier." She repeats, entwining her own fingers with Delphine's, ghosting over her belly, over their rapidly growing child within. "I like it."

OBOBOB

It was 2 in the morning, she'd surprisingly stirred awake before Delphine. Delphine who's biology was so attuned to their newborn that she woke at every whimper to take him to her breast. Or sometimes in a panic to find their son - who was usually just waking close by. It was actually a fairly nice arrangement, she wasn't jealous like she thought she'd be. And she did get more sleep, being a non-gestational parent had it's small advantages. And her son's immune system would be kickstarted properly - which was important to both of them.

She couldn't stop looking at him. Looking at their son, who was just waking up. Watching his little hands curl in the bassinet beside their bed. Her hands react before anything else, she reaches out for him. She glances at Delphine, asleep on her side, her nightgown hanging open from his last feeding.  
She finds herself whispering, "Hey Leo. Let's let Maman sleep a little bit longer? Ok?" Bargaining with her baby probably won't work. She can feel him beginning to root around for a non-existent nipple around the vicinity of her collar bone.

She looks at his dark blue eyes, knowing somewhere in the back of her mind that they'll go brown, and then a beautiful hazel - just like Delphine's. All she sees when she looks at him is Delphine. She sees her in the curve of his tiny lips, his perfect little nose. The donor's genes seem impossibly recessive, at least to Cosima. How could she have wanted this to go any other way? Her son continues his rooting, beginning to make noise.

"Okay little dude." She sighs, an idea forming in her mind. She could let him suckle, buy Delphine a few extra minutes of precious sleep. If he begins to whimper again she knows that he'll wake her. She adjusts her own nightie, and brings her squirming son to her breast. She latches him like she's watched Delphine do so many times in the last two weeks since their son was born.

It's a strange sensation, Leo for his part takes a couple of minutes of contented suckling before he realizes that there is no milk there for him and unlatches with a loud whimper. Well that was unsuccessful. Shit.

She turns to find Delphine, awake, a sleepy smile playing on her face, she reaches for their son and brings him close to feed him on her side.

"Thank you." She yawns, eyes on their little one.

"It didn't really work." She shrugs, admiring her wife and baby. She curls herself in behind Delphine, kissing her cheek affectionately.

"You were trying to let me sleep. It's very sweet." Delphine turns her head to address their baby, "Mon petit bonhomme!' She croons at him. How anyone could manage to be that adorable at 2 am was beyond her. And she was stuck with two of them. She didn't have to stay awake, but sleep was overrated compared to this.

"More like your very hungry caterpillar." Cosima jokes, it's true what they've read, newborns eat all the time. Even her mother had warned her, that their baby would spend much of his first weeks of life literally attached to Delphine. Though, it was all kind of beautiful. A kind of odd perfection in the symbiosis that was being created between the two of them, how Delphine would often wake right before Leo needed to be fed, how he'd nestle closer to her in sleep.

"Brat." She turns her face to stick her tongue out at Cosima before returning her attention to their newborn, "Je sais que tu avais très faim. Pauvre Léo."

"Poor Leo? Poor me - that's some impressive suction..." She jokes.

Delphine furrows her brow saying nothing, it must be far too early for those kind of jokes. Probably unwise to joke about that at all to the mother who will actually be breastfeeding their child. And hormones.. yeah probably a bad time.

"I just think it's cute - calling Leo a very hungry caterpillar." She's getting ideas, Halloween costume perhaps? She smiles at the mental image.

"Mmm... Yes it's cute." Delphine hums sleepily. She's probably going to drift off to sleep again. She loves watching them together. She loves laying around with her baby on her chest and Delphine cuddled into her side. She loves wearing him in a wrap around the house, letting him sleep on her, soothed by her heartbeat.

She leans in to kiss her wife's forehead, "Go back to sleep beautiful."

Her family was beautiful and hers. So absolutely hers. She may be an evolutionary developmental biologist but right now she doesn't give a damn about genetics.


	2. Chapter 2

Leo sits in his sling on her hip as she makes her way through downtown, her fingers interlaced with Delphine's. She loves her days off, they'll just go do family stuff - the three of them. Even stupid stuff like buying food at the markets in chinatown. She misses San Fran sometimes, her parents had certainly hinted that they'd like the new family of three to relocate closer. But Canada was good for something after all - their year long maternity leave, which Delphine was taking full advantage of. He was only five months old, and back in the states neither of them would have been able to manage this much time off.

Her schedule was flexible enough - research at U of T - that she could spend lots of her time with Leo and Delphine. Perfect September days spent in the sunshine with her two loves. She should get on that teaching him german thing, she's been kind of lazy about it. Unless it's her with her dad on skype.

He babbles and smiles and she feels her heart swell in response. His eyes are brown now, so perfectly brown she could just fall into them. People on the street smile at them, usually. It's hard not to smile at such an adorable baby Cosima reasons to herself.

"You know the way he looks right now most people would probably be unable to tell who gave birth to him." Delphine muses after a few run-ins with people who looked from Leo to his moms curiously, trying to figure it out.

She's right, brown eyes and brown hair - when she's out alone with him she's unequivocally labelled as Leo's mom. But he still looks distinctly like Delphine, least to her. Plus when he needs to eat, any passers-by figured that one out very quickly.

"Nope. Sarah and Kira agree with me - he looks like you." Cosima states confidently, "I wouldn't have it any other way really." She'd been thanking the universe for that particular gift since Leo was born. It was just as likely that he would resemble his sperm donor after all.

"Are you sweet-talking me again?" Delphine feigns embarrassment.

She grins happily, "You bet." She leans over to kiss Delphine's cheek.

"Mon amour?"

"Yes?"

"Don't get too excited but I think we should spend December in France- with my family." Delphine lays this out carefully.

"Sure. Ok. I have some vacation time coming, and the university's closed for like 3 weeks anyways." France sounds good. She can't help but picture the three of them in a classy café, visiting the museums and eating delicious food. Only...

"Even with my family?" Delphine smiles an apologetic smile.

"Well... I think they're starting to like me?" Cosima offers hopefully. Honestly, if it's a grandparent visit for Leo - she'd prefer it be her parents. Crazy liberal hippie types who are only too delighted with their daughter-in-law and grandson. When they're not traveling and enjoying their retirement together.

Delphine smiles, "I know my mother really wants to meet Léo, my brothers and their families too. And we should try to see my father and step-mother as well."

Cosima falls back into apology mode, "Yeah. I promise I'll be less awkward this time. I swear though, the dictionary was wrong I didn't mean to say- "

"It will be better this time. I'll make sure." Delphine's arm finds it's way around her shoulder, not wanting to bring up the past. Delphine's parents were shocked when their previously straight daughter unexpectedly brought home a wife, and an anglophone one at that. It wasn't that they were entirely awful, but awkwardness and a language barrier had made it more complex. They'd gone once, shortly after they were first married and hadn't been back since.

"Yeah. Especially now that your mom knows I actually understand a fair bit of French." Cosima adds, nodding her head. The focus would be different this time - all eyes would be on their little Leo and not on the two of them.

Delphine laughs despite herself, "It is a funny story."

Cosima has to agree. Anyways, she can always use her super-adorable baby as a shield.

OBOBOB

He's sixteen months old. It's her turn to stay home with him while on sabbatical. Delphine's maternity leave and short summer now finished. There were advantages to living in Canada. And to having a June baby in the academia world. Happily, his Maman-centric attitudes had shifted in the last few months. It had become a Mommy-phase - as Delphine had predicted when she'd been jealous over the love affair between her baby and her wife. Everything in phases. Everything changes.

"Leo!" She calls, attracting her son's attention and those perfect eyes of his - snapping a quick photo with her phone, "Big smile!" She demonstrates it herself. She wants to reassure Delphine with an email during her lunch.

Her own sabbatical was well timed, taking over the primary childcare duties from a rather divided Delphine. Their baby was so vocal already. And active...

"No, I do it!" Her dark curly-haired son reaches for the phone in her hand.

He's her son too, she thinks as Leo squeals with delight and smiles just like her. She'd read that babies pick up their parents' facial expressions early - and so he had. Sometimes she saw herself now. It was kinda cool. Leo was currently taking her picture, who knew how it would turn out. She hadn't taught him that, she knew that much.

"Oh my clever boy!" She kisses him all over his face making him squeal louder.

Her phone rings and she scrambles to retrieve it from the clutches of her toddler, "Hello?"

"Cos?" Sarah's voice comes in clearly against the backdrop of her son protesting the loss of the phone.

"Yeah?" She juggles the phone call, standing up the phone once again out of reach.

"No! More pictures!" Leo's small voice seems extra loud right now.

She stops, whatever subject she was on about quickly forgotten, "Is that Leo ... weren't you putting him in preschool or something?"

"Umm yes - mornings at Montessori but not like until he's eighteen months. January, I think? Delphine's the one who signed him up. He's home with me til then. Hang on a sec." She covers the speaker with her finger, "Hey Leo - how about we have a dance party in the living room?"

"Yes!" Leo squeals again, leading the way to the iPod and it's dock, she leans over, switches on one of her songs and begins to dance, letting her little one dance shaking his head and waving his hands wildly. She backs away carefully from the speaker.

"Ok. Yup what do you need Sarah?" It doesn't matter so much that she's a clone these days - though often she and Delphine get pulled back in, usually with Leo in tow. She does like having sisters though. Sarah and Alison felt like a gift most of the time.

"Oh Kira has this project-thing for school. Science fair-" Sarah's cut off before she can finish her sentence.

"Cool! Does she need help? I could come over after dinner tonight." She really enjoys older kids and Kira at eleven is pretty awesome to be around. She looks forward to the days she gets to do more science with Leo. Right now it's mostly running around outside and watching him pick up sticks and be fascinated by snails on the ground.

"Yeah that's good - we're not going anywhere tonight. Felix'll be here though."

"Ok great. See you tonight." She returns her attention to Leo, "That was Auntie Sarah - looks like you will be with Maman tonight for bedtime." She almost regrets that, she loves reading to him. Though honestly, she loves listening to Delphine read to him as well - it's always in french.

"Dance Mommy." He demands, holding up his hands. She leans down taking his little hands, she dances him around the living room. She's supposed to feed him lunch and put him down for a nap, but it can wait just a little while.

OBOBOB

"Quoi? Tu ne veux pas une petite sœur?" Delphine tickles their son on the couch. She tries to be as playful as she can - knowing she also has to be the disciplinarian. Poor Delphine, stuck being the tough parent. Cosima's tried, but she seems to be stuck in the role of the 'pushover' like it or not.

"Non! Arrête Maman." Leo squeals, breathless from the tickling. At three he was increasingly inquisitive but also increasingly challenging. Every day was a million questions and every day was different.

"Ah c'est bien trop tard!" Delphine drops a hand to her belly, cupping the curve of it. She was getting bigger faster this time. Cosima had made a point not to notice. Though she was thoroughly taking advantage of the second trimester this time, before late pregnancy fatigue and life with a newborn kicks in again.

"Maman is right," Cosima jumps in, "Way too late, in about four months you're going to be a big brother - ready or not." Her own childhood had been fun, but lonely at times. She didn't want that for Leo. And Delphine had grown up with brothers - she'd wanted two kids from the start. The pre-bedtime tickle fight seems to have ended. Leo sits up suddenly looking very serious.

"Elle sera notre bébé." Delphine smooths back stray curls from Leo's forehead, "Tu vas l'aimer." He would, Cosima thought, Delphine certainly seems to love her brothers- even if they only called like twice a year... they really suck at keeping in touch.

"Je veux un frère." He addresses both mothers now, "Why can't I have a brother?"

"Well too bad, it's going to be a girl." Cosima shrugs. She's delighted either way really. She hadn't had much of a preference this time.

"Cosima," Delphine chides her, "Léo, le bébé est déjà une fille."

"Maman's right, She's already a girl- it is not going to change. Well probably-" Cosima finds herself on the verge of launching into gender identity and identity politics when Delphine's eyes find hers with a well-timed glare. Her son is somewhat aware of those things but this is not the time to launch into it.

"Okay." Leo answers somewhat sadly, "Where will I go when you have the baby?"

"You'll be here Munchkin, with us where you belong." Cosima affectionately ruffles his hair, "Well for the birth you'll probably go stay with Auntie Alison for a couple days." She's more grateful than ever for having her sisters close by. Even if she disagrees with Alison's anal methods and excessive time-outs; Leo will be well taken care of. She'd let Kira babysit him here - but labour is unpredictable and it might be too long or too late.

"Auntie Alison?" Leo looks disappointed.

"Well unless Grandma and Opa come up to stay with us.. hey that would be fun, right?" Cosima's planning out loud again. Her parents might go for it too, plus it would give her father a chance to test out Leo's practically non-existent german. Damn she should get on that.

"Okay, c'est temps pour dodo." Delphine scoops their son up in her arms and carries him upstairs.

"You need help?" Cosima calls down the hall.

Delphine answers back, "No. It's french time - don't you have papers to mark?"

Half an hour later, Leo's asleep in his room and Delphine's returned to finish a little bit of work before bed.

"Wanna play hooky tomorrow?" She teases gently, the stack of papers mostly finished now. She has a later start than Delphine's but her office hours are tomorrow. Chances are it will be a chance to catch up on her papers and emails, unless she gets another keener student in.

A laugh emerges first, "It's a half-day for me anyways, no need. And don't worry about Léo. I learned to love my little brother."

"Had you wanted a sister then?" Cosima smiles. She remembers being about Leo's age and asking her parents for one. They'd smiled at her and said they were too old and having her was enough for them.

"Oui. I was stuck between two boys - though being the only girl had it's advantages." Delphine shrugs, "What do you think of Mireille?"

"No anglophone will be able to pronounce it." Cosima sighed, they were back to this. Naming babies was hard. Anything with a "th" was out, many francophones couldn't pronounce that. Anything that sounded too weird in french or english was out. It took a lot of sorting through names and testing them. It wasn't this hard with Leo.

"What do you think?"

Cosima considers, "I kind of like Sylvie. Cute. Pronounceable. Nice meaning."

Delphine pauses, "Sylvie's cute. A possibility, it's a little old-fashioned. I like it though."

"Put it on the list. I think it's like my top choice right now." She answers back, nudging at Delphine's calf with her foot, "He's completely out, right?" She lets her toes brush gently against Delphine's skin.

"Yes." Delphine nods, catching her drift and putting down her laptop on the coffee table. Whatever it was it could wait.

"Hmm, I know I should be working through these..." She shifts closer, wrapping her arms around Delphine, "But you're just so sexy." She leans in to kiss her neck, her ear. Whatever she can reach.

"When I'm pregnant?" She laughs, teasing her.

"Oh that's not fair. But yes. And well, all the time really." Cosima's resting a hand there, she can't feel anything from the outside yet but Delphine assures her that their baby does move. "Besides you can't keep your hands off me. You never could." She teases back. Delphine was always touching her, a hand to the back or cupping her face or interlacing their fingers.

"Mmm c'est vrai." She husks into Cosima's ear, making her shudder. Oh she'd never get tired of this. That was certain.

OBOBOB

She watches Leo play on the floor with Kira, who's seemingly charmed by her little cousins. That child has so much family now. They all do.

Delphine has Sylvie on her lap, two months old and a perfect Delphine in miniature. The universe had come through for her again. She was fairer than her brother though, but those same perfect eyes, those same lips and dainty nose. She was very, very lucky. Sylvie is a more solemn baby, she wants to look out at everything and everyone.

Currently her eyes are fixed on Felix and Alison arguing over who's going to carve the turkey. Alison's decked out in a ridiculous sweater, Gemma and Oscar are both in the kitchen, having been put to work by their mother. Grumbling teens mixing salads and setting the big table in the fancy dining room Alison only uses 3 times a year.

Donnie sits just staring at them, in total disbelief. He should be used to it but every time the clone club invades his house it renders him speechless or Alison puts him to work.

Sarah sits across from her drinking a beer, "Yeah. I'm happy you made it Cos."

It's not easy, their kids are so much younger than Alison's or Sarah's. It's another divide in their lives.

"A clone club Christmas? How could we pass this one up?" She smiles back, enjoying this, enjoying their weird family.

"As long as your wife won't be swabbing us for samples - we're good." Sarah jokes, taking another swig.

"No, the only clone she works on now is Charlotte. Fixing our creators' mistakes. Giving her choices Alison and I didn't have." Cosima makes the reference, enough so that Sarah will know, not enough as to attract attention.

"Would you have done things differently?" Alison jumps into the conversation, a glass of sparkling juice in her hand. Some things haven't changed that much.

Cosima looks at her children, "No. I wouldn't change a thing."

FIN


End file.
